Cash protection for Rwanda's poor
21 April 2009
Nihoza Angelique
(pictured left) is 28 years old and has three children. Like more than 8
million Rwandans, she makes her living from cultivating her land, and like 3
million of them, she has less than a quarter of a hectare to farm.
"With my small land, it's hard to get enough for my children and me to eat," she says with tears in her eyes. "I'm separated from my husband and I'm raising my family alone."
However, thanks to the Rwandan government's Vision 2020 Umurenge Programme (VUP), which is backed by DFID, Nihoza has now been working for six months, earning 1,000 Rwandan francs (£1) a day. She has also recently opened a bank account, into which she saves a portion of her earnings.
"With my first salary I bought school uniforms for my children," she says. "And with my second and third salaries I bought a goat. With my savings, the first thing I'll do is construct a decent house for my children."
The purpose of VUP is to reduce the number of Rwandans living in extreme poverty. As well as protecting the poor from shocks such as sudden price rises, the programme also helps people to build their long-term earning capacity. Its methods include providing cash transfers to households without land or the ability to work and increasing access to savings and credit services. For people like Nihoza who are able to work but possess only a small amount of land (less than 0.25 hectares), it offers waged jobs improving public facilities.
Addressing desperate needs
One of those not able to work is Marguerite Nyirambabazi. "I have no land,"
she says, "and even if I did have, I'm too old to work anyway."
Marguerite doesn't know exactly how old she is; nor does she know how many children she's had in her long life. She now lives with her 10-year-old grandchild, who fetches water for her and carries out jobs around the house.
"I'm very poor," says Marguerite, "and I'm in desperate need. But I know I'll be receiving support, and I have now opened my first bank account. I'm just happy that someone is thinking about me."
Under the VUP cash transfer scheme, the head of the household receives 250 francs a day, while other members get 150 francs. The maximum total assistance is 700 francs per day. Many of the people who stand to benefit are living on their own, elderly or disabled.
Now, as the programme gathers pace, and is extended to more parts of the country, more people like Marguerite, Nihoza and their dependents will be saved from extreme poverty and, crucially, get the chance to build better futures for themselves.
Facts and stats
- VUP started implementation in March 2008.
- VUP's public works began in July 2008 and have involved the participation of over 17,500 households.
- Over the next four years DFID will provide £20 million to support the implementation of VUP and provide technical assistance in key areas identified by the Rwandan government. These include monitoring and evaluation, financial management, and programme management and development.
- DFID's early support for this programme will allow the development of a credible evidence base to inform results monitoring, course correction and policy improvements needed for a sustainable and effective social protection system in Rwanda.
- Based on current financial commitments, VUP will reach 41,993 households by June 2013.
